Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1887-01-21
A DETECTIVES STORY.

but the very first case assigned me had
more peril in it than any four others
combined. had done some "spotting''
and "shadowing," and had helped on
two or three cases, when | was sent to
Milwaukee to look after, an embezzler.
The case was stated in nutshell. A
Mrs. Pierce, widow of wealth, and a
woman who trusted her servants alto
gether too much, received one day from
the East by express package of money
amounting to $14,0 She had b en-
in the habit of sending her butler to the
bank to make deposits for her, and now
and then to draw money on Der written
order. He had been with her for several
years as n sort of man of all work in the
house, and she had found him stril tly
honest. She gave him the money to de-
post without fear of his being tempted.
lie was not seen after he left the house.
He did not so to the bank, and for three
or four days Mrs. Pierce and others
laborcd under the belief that he had
been robbed and murdered. The hunt for
his dead body was going on when l
reached Milwaukee.
The name of the butler was John
Lane, and he was described to me as a
sandy-haired, red faced man, weighing
one hundred and sixty pounds. and
wearing sandy moustache. His habits
were declared to b. above reproach,
and Mrs. Pierce Indignantly resented my
suggestion that he might have run
away. So did the local detective who
had the case in hand. held from the
first to the theory that he had run away.
He had been told to hurry back. He
could reach the bank in walk of fifteen
minutes, having only two or three turns
to make. 1t was at 2 o'clock in the af-
ternoon, and he could be in no personal
danger. No one could be found who
had seen him between the house and the
bank, although he was we'll known. But
the best clue was found in Lanes room.
There was handful of sandy hair in a
paper under the lavatory There was an
other paper spotted with lather, in which
were enough bristles to make NOUS
tache. Behind an old trunk was bot
tie which had containe hair dye
Mrs. Pierce received the money about
10 o'clock in the forenoon, and she re-
marked to ane that she would have
him deposit it after dinner He waited
on the table at noon, and there was no
change IN his appearance, but between
that time and two he shaved off his
moustache, cut off lot of his hair ap
piled the dye, and Mrs. Pierce remem-
bered that he was muff1ed up as he went
out, leaving by the side door.
Now came the hardest part of the
work. When you know which way a
criminal is heading it is quite easy to
keep his trail, but when you can't say
whether he is in New York or Omaha,
or that he may not be hiding within two
blocks of you, it is quite different mat
ter. From the servants in the house
learned that Lane had always declared
he hated the very sight of cities and
towns, and he had no care for fine
clothes and society. He also had a great
horror of the water. This seemed to
argue that he would not head for Europe,
as | at first feared. 1t was we'll known
that he had holy horror of the West,
having read OF savage Indians, prairie
fires, grizzly bears, rattlesnakes &c.
That seemed to argue that he would not
60 West. Would he 60 North or South2
was helped out of my dilemma in a
curious way had been at every steam
boat office and railroad depot, meeting
with no success, and was standing in
front of the Second National Bank when
farmer looking man accostcd me with /.
What do you say about this bill! |
say it's good and the old woman says it's
bad?"
1t was five he had, and the "cld
woman sat in wagon on the opposite
side the street
. ny does she suspect it to be bad2"
] asked, as | surveyed thesbill.
Well, 1t was give to me four or five
days ago by a chap who rode out home
with US, had supper, and then cut across
to the railroad station. | shouldn have
charged him.o over scvcnty-five cents at
the most, and his liberality seems queer "
l was dead certain from his first words
that had got track of my man. We
went into the bank to satisfy him that
the bill was all right, and then crossed
to the wagon. | want to tell you that
country eoplc are head and shoulders
above the average city residents in the
matter OF observation aud in remember
ing what they see.
We'll, one reason why suspected
this man, said the wife, twas because
his hair was dreadfully haggled ard then
dyed. Such botch work you never saw.
His hair was all in streaks of black and
red, and he'd got the dye on his ears and
ne k"
The fellow had tried to play smart in
leaving the city by one of the highways
but accident had revealed his trail. lie
had taken the train at staff On about IF
teen miles away, and he had four DAYS
the start of me. The first move WAS to
run out to the country ION at which
he had taken the train. there found
that he had made many inquiries about
the northern and western part of the
Stat, and had finally purchased ticket
for Fond du Lac. The description OF
HIM was good, and l was about to buy
ticket for the same place and take train
due in half an hour, when In came bow
who had been there on the evening when
Lane bought his ticket. He was a lad
who helpea around the station, and it
was plain that he had a good deal OF ma.
tive wit.
eyes, that chap bought ticket for
Fond du Lac, but don't think he went
there" replied the lad when | began to
question him
"What makes you think he d d not u
Because" he answered. as he hal ded
down folder from the rack, he VS.
studying this route which goes to Port
age city. | think he meant to take this
folder along, but dropped it. See how
he has marked it with pencil"
So he had. He could run up to Water.
town and go through by way of Beaver
Dam. He had marked the time of ar